Organic Skin Products

Your Organic Skin

Skin is the armor of the body. It is the outside waterproofing, element-fighting surface that protects our internal organs and skeletal structure from the harsh outside elements. Yet skin, overall is ignored most of the time. Healthy skin is important for a glowing completion of course, but if your body is unhealthy – your skin will be also.

The toxic world of industrialization has finally caught up with us. Producing toxic waste disasters, disease and tons of garbage buried so deep it can never breakdown. All these “modern advancements” have left our food supply as little more than a chemical compound in itself. If you can do ONE thing to give your skin and your body a fighting chance, you would be wise to choose as organic a diet as possible. To maintain a healthy skin, organically grown food is must.

In light of recent organic trends in our food, organic skin care products are also gaining popularity. For healthy lifestyle and healthy skin, limiting the amount of toxins and chemicals you put in your body is a must. If the environment or living “green” is important to you, you should also be aware of companies that produce the products you buy and their manufacturing practices.

Organic Skin Care is the most rapidly developing field in the beauty industry. Now what does Organic mean? Organic refers to anything grown or raised naturally. But more specifically, it means plants are grown on certified natural land without the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, genetic modification or irradiation. In many cases, these organic farms are highly regulated by the Federal Food Safety Commission. Organic skin care means protecting your skin from harmful chemicals and using organic products whenever possible.

There are many organic products available on the market today. Most can be found at a local organic specialty stores, food suppliers or a national health food chain like Whole Foods. As organic products become more and more popular, many standard food stores, Like Safeway or Albertsons’ are also providing these products on their shelves. There are also plenty of websites offering organic skin or beauty care products online.

An organic product is preferable for natural skin care balance as it will generally contain far fewer chemical properties then it’s drugstore counterparts and thus have less possibility to cause inflammation or irritation. Of course, even an herbal product can have side effects as they are “chemicals” in their own right, so always be aware of the list if ingredients in the products you buy and the reactions your skin personally has to allergens.

Skin Care Ingredients to Avoid

Many consumers are frustrated by skin care products that don’t do what they claim to. Worse still is investing in an expensive yet ineffective cream or treatment only to discover the cheapest drug-store brand would work just as well. In a world of hyper-consumerism, false advertising and a plethora of products from which to choose, how do you choose the good from the bad?

There are some great products on the market that can genuinely improve your skin’s appearance and help your skin look smoother, more radiant, and youthful. But, there are literally thousands of products to choose from and unless you spend hours a day researching beauty products, it’s difficult to find the one of the few that actually produces real results and eliminates years of aging from your face and body.

As the law of supply and demand proves, the higher the demand for youth and beauty, the more manufacturers will rush to provide the solution. Many times this rush results in the creation of an inferior product with little to no research and development to back it.

Caveat Emptor – or “let the buyer beware” – is the rule to live by. Do your homework. Know where you are “voting” your hard-earned money. If it is important to you, make sure you are investing in a quality, skincare ingredient backed by proven results. If the environment and being ‘green’ is important to you, then be aware of the manufacturing practices of the company and product you support with your purchase.

Ingredients to Avoid

Due to certain preservative requirements, many skin care products are unfortunately loaded with ingredients that actually harm your skin over time. Following are a few prominent ingredients widely used in skincare products to day and are to be avoided if you prefer you skincare to be more natural or organic.

• Mineral Oil. This oil has been used in literally hundreds of products. Mineral oil may also go by the alternative names liquid paraffin, paraffin wax and petrolatum on the product label. Mineral oil is used pervasively in skin care products as a moisturizing agent due to its low cost.

Mineral oil, once applied, is meant to ‘trap’ moisture in the skin, but once applied, actually prevents the skin from “breathing.” As such, it clogs pores, interferes with your skin’s natural ability to eliminate toxins, and can lead to acne flare ups. Also, it is irritating to the skin and if used for any length of time, your skin can become dependent on it, causing chapping and dryness. Lastly, it can lead to premature aging of the skin.

• Dioxane: (a synthetic derivative of coconut). This substance is widely used in skincare products. It often contains high concentrations of 1,4-dioxane, which is readily absorbed through the skin. In the State of California, 1,4-dioxane has been reported as “known to cause cancer.”

• Fragrances: No one wants to smell bad, but if you want to be on the safe side, you are better off choosing an organic essential oil or diluted cologne, hydrosol or even a bodyspray. Your skin care products typically contain chemically engineered fragrances to mask the unpleasant “chemical odor” of the foundational product itself. Many of these masking fragrances are produced from ingredients that are known to be toxic or carcinogenic.

Your skin is the largest organ of the body. Anything you put on it can be easily absorbed through the pores. When you use skin care products, they are typically applied all over the face, neck, and body. This covers a lot of surface area and, therefore, a great deal of chemical absorption occurs. However, with perfumes and colognes, you can achieve what you want by a small dab here and there, which will result in less chemical absorption overall. If you really want a beauty product to smell great without the harsh side effects, try buying a fragrance-free product and add your own essential oil blend. You can customize a whole line of products with you won signature scent!

• Parabens: methyl, propyl, butyl, and ethyl paraben. Many skin care products (and moisturizing products) will use parabens as a preservative so their products have a long shelf life. The reason is purely economical. However, studies suggest that they may cause cancer and interfere with the body’s endocrine system, as well as causing allergic reactions and skin rashes.

• Alcohols: ethanol, ethyl alcohol, methanol, benzyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol and SD alcohol. Not all alcohols have the same properties, but these, which are commonly found in skin care products, are very drying and irritating for the skin. Alcohols such as these strip away the skin’s natural acid mantle, making you more vulnerable to bacteria, moulds and viruses.

Now that we’ve looked at some of the bad, let’s examine some of the good ingredients and some ingredients that sound good but in fact aren’t.

Organic Skincare for Babies

Your baby’s skin is highly sensitive. Before using any skin care product, be sure it is formulated for babies with as few chemical ingredients as possible. Natural and organic baby products are preferable, as they use little to no man-made chemicals that your baby can have a harsh reaction to.
Organic baby skin care products are made from things that come from the earth, such as herbal plants and natural oils. Because there are no chemicals in organic skin care products there is less chance of your baby having a skin reaction when using the products

The best way to avoid chemicals is to choose pure and natural toiletries for babies and question which products you actually need at all. Yet when you read the list of ingredients listed on baby products they look much the same as those listed on standard family toiletries. Look at the chemicals listed in your child’s toiletry products; commonly SLS or sodium lauryl sulfate is used in baby wipes and shampoo’s it has been linked to skin irritations, diarrhea, breathing problems and eye damage particularly in small children. In higher concentrations, this same chemical is used in household cleaning products. Another item to consider when you purchase baby clothes or baby linens for the very first time, make sure to wash the baby items in a hypoallergenic soap formulated for babies.

Avoid products containing potentially irritating or harmful ingredients. Unscented, all-natural products are the safest things to use on our children. Making your own all-natural powders, salves, and bath products is a wonderful way to care for your children. Research organic baby skin care and learn what is best for your baby’s soft and delicate skin. As a caring parent, you want your baby to have the best health possible – that includes their skin care as their tiny body can absorb every chemical of a lotion or skin care product you apply.

Organic baby skin care products today include a full range of baby lotions, baby creams, balms, baby oils, salves and baby powders to soothe, moisturize and protect. Refrain from using products designed for adults as they are usually too harsh and contain irritants and allergens.

Speak to your pediatrician for organic products he/she may recommend. If you live in a small town and don’t have access to specialty stores, check online. There are now many sites linking you to stores across the country that can ship products for little to no additional cost of driving to a nearby store.

Aromatherapy and essential oils

“Aromatherapy” basically is a holistic treatment using natural scents. It is primarily used to care for the body with pleasant smelling botanical oils such as rose, lemon, lavender and peppermint. The essential oils are added to the bath or massaged into the skin, inhaled directly or diffused to scent an entire room. Aromatherapy is used for the relief of pain, care for the skin, alleviate tension and fatigue and invigorate the entire body. Essential oils can affect the mood, alleviate fatigue, reduce anxiety and promote relaxation. When inhaled, they work on the brain and nervous system through stimulation of the olfactory nerves.

The essential oils are aromatic essences extracted from plants, flowers, trees, fruits, bark, grasses and seeds with distinctive therapeutic, psychological, and physiological properties, which improve and prevent illness. There are about 150 essential oils. Most of these oils have antiseptic properties; some are antiviral, anti-inflammatory, pain-relieving, antidepressant and expectorant. Other properties of the essential oils which are taken advantage of in aromatherapy are their stimulation, relaxation, digestion improvement, and diuretic properties. To get the maximum benefit from essential oils, it should be made from natural, pure raw materials. Synthetically made oils do not work.

Aromatherapy is one of the fastest growing fields in alternative medicine. It is widely used at home, clinics and hospitals for a variety of applications such as pain relief for women in labor pain, relieving pain caused by the side effects of the chemotherapy undergone by the cancer patients, and rehabilitation of cardiac patients. There is a growing body of scientific evidence for the many skin benefits of essential oils. Dr. Pratima Raichur, author of Absolute Beauty , (Harper Collins, 1996), points out that nearly all essential oils are anti-microbial and recommends them as part of her Ayurvedic approach to each skin condition, which, according to Ayurvedic principles, is determined by one’s specific body type, or “dosha.” For most oily or “Kapha” skin, she recommends lavender and clary sage to normalize oil production. For sensitive, “Pitta” skin, and acne rosacea, sandalwood, rose and jasmine to calm the skin. For dry, “Vata” skin, neroli, sweet orange and geranium to balance and hydrate.

Essential oils stimulate the powerful sense of smell. Many know the odors we smell have a significant impact on how we feel. In dealing with patients who have lost the sense of smell, doctors have found that a life without fragrance can lead to high incidence of psychiatric problems such as anxiety and depression. We have the capability to distinguish 10,000 different smells. It is believed that smells enter through cilia (the fine hairs lining the nose) to the limbic system, the part of the brain that controls our moods, emotions, memory and learning.

Studies with brain wave frequency has shown that smelling lavender increases alpha waves in the back of the head, which are associated with relaxation. Fragrance of Jasmine increases beta waves in the front of the head, which are associated with a more alert state.
Scientific studies have also shown that essential oils contain chemical components that can exert specific effects on the mind and body. Their chemistry is complex, but generally includes alcohols, esters, ketones, aldehydes, and terpenes.

In addition to their balancing effects, using essential oils and products made from them instead of conventionally scented skin and bath products, will spare your skin the stress of the number one ranking skin irritant: synthetic fragrance. Essential oil blends for a variety of skin types that also include super-antioxidants and marine extracts in their formulas and several others all offer balancing oils that actually can detoxify, regenerate and balance oil production in the skin.

Buying SkinCare Products

For you as a consumer in the billion-dollar skin care industry, lack of information about products is costly, and you have to bridge the gap between. Without accurate information, you are throwing your money away, because you are completely at the mercy of advertisers and marketers. Knowing more specific information about your skin needs, such as your true skin type, you can take control of your skin.

In 2001, the average American owned about five hundred dollars’ worth of cosmetic products, and this amount has surely risen dramatically as more and more expensive product lines have been developed since that time. Do you really need to spend that much to get quality skin care? No. What truly matters is not your skin cream’s price, but whether it’s right for your Skin Type. No matter how glamorous its packaging or delicious its feel, that four-hundred-dollar cream is not right for everyone. (In fact, some types don’t need to use any skin cream at all.)

Proper information – not hype – will save you the expense, trouble, and waste of buying the wrong products-while directing you to the right ones. Ingredients are the only thing that should drive your purchasing decisions and once you’ve learned what all the jargon and 14-syllable words mean, you too will be better able to read a cosmetic label and figure out if it’s appropriate for you.
Again, products should be chosen based on their ingredients first, manufacturing practices, and formulations.
Also try to research the clinical trial data of the products, when available, to choose wisely those that have proven effective. Leading dermatologists recommend following these criteria before buying any skin care:

Make sure the product…

1. Contains the right ingredients for your skin type
2. Contains sufficient amounts of active ingredients to be effective
3. Do not contain counterproductive ingredients
4. Are formulated effectively for your needs
5. Are packaged to maintain stability of the active ingredients
6. Are cosmetically elegant (smell good and feel good)
7. Are Approved from those who’ve used them
8. Are easily available for purchase

Your Organic Skin

Skin is the armor of the body. It is the outside waterproofing, element-fighting surface that protects our internal organs and skeletal structure from the harsh outside elements. Yet skin, overall is ignored most of the time. Healthy skin is important for a glowing completion of course, but if your body is unhealthy – your skin will be also.

The toxic world of industrialization has finally caught up with us. Producing toxic waste disasters, disease and tons of garbage buried so deep it can never breakdown. All these “modern advancements” have left our food supply as little more than a chemical compound in itself. If you can do ONE thing to give your skin and your body a fighting chance, you would be wise to choose as organic a diet as possible. To maintain a healthy skin, organically grown food is must.

In light of recent organic trends in our food, organic skin care products are also gaining popularity. For healthy lifestyle and healthy skin, limiting the amount of toxins and chemicals you put in your body is a must. If the environment or living “green” is important to you, you should also be aware of companies that produce the products you buy and their manufacturing practices.

Organic Skin Care is the most rapidly developing field in the beauty industry. Now what does Organic mean? Organic refers to anything grown or raised naturally. But more specifically, it means plants are grown on certified natural land without the use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, genetic modification or irradiation. In many cases, these organic farms are highly regulated by the Federal Food Safety Commission. Organic skin care means protecting your skin from harmful chemicals and using organic products whenever possible.

There are many organic products available on the market today. Most can be found at a local organic specialty stores, food suppliers or a national health food chain like Whole Foods. As organic products become more and more popular, many standard food stores, Like Safeway or Albertsons’ are also providing these products on their shelves. There are also plenty of websites offering organic skin or beauty care products online.

An organic product is preferable for natural skin care balance as it will generally contain far fewer chemical properties then it’s drugstore counterparts and thus have less possibility to cause inflammation or irritation. Of course, even an herbal product can have side effects as they are “chemicals” in their own right, so always be aware of the list if ingredients in the products you buy and the reactions your skin personally has to allergens.

Organic Skincare for Babies

Your baby’s skin is highly sensitive. Before using any skin care product, be sure it is formulated for babies with as few chemical ingredients as possible. Natural and organic baby products are preferable, as they use little to no man-made chemicals that your baby can have a harsh reaction to.
Organic baby skin care products are made from things that come from the earth, such as herbal plants and natural oils. Because there are no chemicals in organic skin care products there is less chance of your baby having a skin reaction when using the products

The best way to avoid chemicals is to choose pure and natural toiletries for babies and question which products you actually need at all. Yet when you read the list of ingredients listed on baby products they look much the same as those listed on standard family toiletries. Look at the chemicals listed in your child’s toiletry products; commonly SLS or sodium lauryl sulfate is used in baby wipes and shampoo’s it has been linked to skin irritations, diarrhea, breathing problems and eye damage particularly in small children. In higher concentrations, this same chemical is used in household cleaning products. Another item to consider when you purchase baby clothes or baby linens for the very first time, make sure to wash the baby items in a hypoallergenic soap formulated for babies.

Avoid products containing potentially irritating or harmful ingredients. Unscented, all-natural products are the safest things to use on our children. Making your own all-natural powders, salves, and bath products is a wonderful way to care for your children. Research organic baby skin care and learn what is best for your baby’s soft and delicate skin. As a caring parent, you want your baby to have the best health possible – that includes their skin care as their tiny body can absorb every chemical of a lotion or skin care product you apply.

Organic baby skin care products today include a full range of baby lotions, baby creams, balms, baby oils, salves and baby powders to soothe, moisturize and protect. Refrain from using products designed for adults as they are usually too harsh and contain irritants and allergens.

Speak to your pediatrician for organic products he/she may recommend. If you live in a small town and don’t have access to specialty stores, check online. There are now many sites linking you to stores across the country that can ship products for little to no additional cost of driving to a nearby store.

Facial Toners

Alcohol-free Facial Toner Best for Balancing skin PH

Facial toner should not be confused with astringent, which can strip the skin of its vital acid balance due to higher concentrations of alcohol. Alcohol-free toner helps to instantly restore the natural PH level of your skin. Toning is a step usually taken after cleansing and before moisturizing. It works best to help balance the skin, remove residual cleanser, clear the pores and soothe the skin.

“Alcohol-free facial toner is a vital transition between cleansing and treatment. The Vivoderm toner, for example, is enriched with minerals and natural herbal astringents to purify hydrate and normalize the skin. The grape seed and green tea extracts soothe and tone the skin preparing it to readily receive the maximum benefits of skin care to follow,” reports Dr. Noushin Adhami, Vice President of Vivoderm Laboratories.

Natural facial toner that combines herbal ingredients, like grape seed or green tea extract work more holistically than alcohol-based astringents. Grape seed contains “oligomeric proanthocyanidin” or OPCs showing medicinal and pharmacological properties against oxidative-caused cellular stress. Radical-scavenging effects have also been reported. The bioflavonoids in grape seed are water-soluble and have antioxidant and ‘adaptogenic’ or stress-resistant properties, which help defend against a number of negative environmental factors, including smoke, radiation and chemicals. Green tea extract has been reported act as a protective agent of skin from ultraviolet light.

What all this means is, in order to achieve optimal health, your skin needs sufficient blood supply, hydration, moisture, oxygen and thickness. The natural facial toner is also a complementary part of the anti-aging prevention tools. Facial toner should promote skin health and vitality by toning the skin and retaining the skin’s natural moisture.

Product Buying Know How

For you as a consumer in the billion-dollar skin care industry, lack of information about products is costly, and you have to bridge the gap between. Without accurate information, you are throwing your money away, because you are completely at the mercy of advertisers and marketers. Knowing more specific information about your skin needs, such as your true skin type, you can take control of your skin.

In 2001, the average American owned about five hundred dollars’ worth of cosmetic products, and this amount has surely risen dramatically as more and more expensive product lines have been developed since that time. Do you really need to spend that much to get quality skin care? No. What truly matters is not your skin cream’s price, but whether it’s right for your Skin Type. No matter how glamorous its packaging or delicious its feel, that four-hundred-dollar cream is not right for everyone. (In fact, some types don’t need to use any skin cream at all.)

Proper information – not hype – will save you the expense, trouble, and waste of buying the wrong products-while directing you to the right ones. Ingredients are the only thing that should drive your purchasing decisions and once you’ve learned what all the jargon and 14-syllable words mean, you too will be better able to read a cosmetic label and figure out if it’s appropriate for you.
Again, products should be chosen based on their ingredients first, manufacturing practices, and formulations.
Also try to research the clinical trial data of the products, when available, to choose wisely those that have proven effective. Leading dermatologists recommend following these criteria before buying any skin care:

Make sure the product…

1. Contains the right ingredients for your skin type
2. Contains sufficient amounts of active ingredients to be effective
3. Do not contain counterproductive ingredients
4. Are formulated effectively for your needs
5. Are packaged to maintain stability of the active ingredients
6. Are cosmetically elegant (smell good and feel good)
7. Are Approved from those who’ve used them
8. Are easily available for purchase

Skin Care Ingredients to Look For

Before we have a discussion of specific ingredients, it’s important to educate ourselves a little bit more on skin itself and what makes a product good or poor. Your skin is the largest organ of the body. Anything you put on it can be easily absorbed through the pores. When you use skin care products, they are typically applied all over the face, neck, and body. This covers a lot of surface area and, therefore, a great deal of chemical absorption occurs.

The biggest reason our skin, whether on the face or the rest of the body, develops lines and/or starts to sag, is that the collagen and elastin in our skin begins to break down. Collagen is a protein that is fibrous in nature. What makes collagen different from other kinds of protein is that it possesses great tensile strength, which means, among other things, it provides firmness to the skin.

You don’t need to be a scientist, therefore, to understand that as collagen breaks down due to aging, the firmness of our skin becomes…well, less firm. Wrinkles appear and skin starts to sag.

Elastin, too, is a protein that helps skin stay “flexible” and firm. If your skin is stretched, elastin is the protein that helps it return to its original position.

What all of this means for you as a consumer is you do want to avoid buying products that are nothing more than wrinkle or fine line ‘fillers.’ Some creams will give the appearance of plumper fuller skin while it still sits on the surface, but once absorbed or removed, the illusion is gone. Want you want to look for is a product that actually stimulates new collagen and elastin production in your skin. If you achieve this, you will, in reality, begin to turn back the clock.

Unfortunately, some cosmetic manufacturers will include some great ‘active ingredients’ while filling the majority of the product with inferior filler. Because these active ingredients are beneficial for the skin, they include just enough to be allowed to legally list them on the product label. This way, the typical consumer thinks they are getting a great product of high-quality. But, because these ingredients are expensive, and because, many well known companies spend much of their budget on marketing, the amount of these ‘active ingredients’ is limited to have any real benefit for your skin.

So, when choosing a skin care product, it’s not just about selecting one with good ingredients; it’s also about choosing one with a high concentration of these good ingredients.

• Collagen

After the brief review of the importance of collagen, you would think that buying a product with collagen in it would be a great thing. And the marketers who sell products that contain collagen know this. But, again sadly, collagen molecules are much too large to penetrate into the skin when applied topically and there presence in a beauty product has no effect whatsoever. To be of any benefit, you must purchase a product with ingredients that have been shown to stimulate your body’s own collagen production.

• Phytessence Wakame

Phytessence Wakame is an exotic kelp, native to the Japanese Sea. It works by blocking a harmful enzyme in your body called hyaluronidase. Hyaluronidase breaks down hyaluronic acid in your skin. Without hyaluronic acid, the elastin and collagen fibers lose their “glue,” which leads to a loss of youthful appearance and dark eye circles. Hyaluronan is a major component of skin, where it is involved in tissue repair.

• CoQ10

If you look at the ingredient list for some of the better skin care products, you’ll often see CoQ10 listed. CoQ10 is short for Coenzyme Q10, so you may also see it listed this way. CoQ10 is a vitamin like substance that is found in all of our body’s cells and is very important for healthy skin. CoQ10 is a powerful antioxidant. A lot of skin damage and aging comes from free radicals wreaking havoc in our body’s cells. CoQ10’s antioxidant ability can counter these free radicals before damage occurs.

Unfortunately, like many other vital substances, as we age, the amount of CoQ10 in our bodies becomes depleted.

Although CoQ10 is a great ingredient, not all forms are equal. One in particular stands head and shoulders above the rest. This version of it is called Nano-Lipobelle H-EQ10.Most of the CoQ10 you buy in a typical skin care products are not readily usable when applied topically to the skin.

• Nano-Lipobelle H-EQ10, on the other hand, is a special nano-emulsion form of CoQ10, which penetrates far down into the skin, thereby providing much greater benefits for skin health. In fact, Nano-Lipobelle H-EQ10 has been shown to penetrate seven layers deep into the skin, making it extremely effective at gobbling up free radicals in your skin. The result is a powerful anti-wrinkle effect.

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